Generating power at night, the flip side to solar

Nuclear energy has been in the news lately, and its proponents have once again cited the intermittent nature of renewables as a compelling reason to embrace nuclear. They say that only nuclear can wean us off fossil fuels fast enough given the imminent climate crisis.

My argument has always been that renewable technology is still in its infancy and that the sector will explode with new tech in the near future. This post is about one such possible ‘new tech’ – thermoelectric generation.

I can’t explain the science, but I can say that this new direction in power generation would work at night, while solar is unavailable. You can read the complete article here:

The amount of power generated was miniscule, but this experiment sought only to prove that the principle was sound. Scaling up the process and making it robust enough for commercial applications will take a while, but then so does setting up a nuclear power plant.

My money’s on the new tech rather than the old.

cheers

Meeks

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About acflory

I am the kind of person who always has to know why things are the way they are so my interests range from genetics and biology to politics and what makes people tick.
For fun I play online mmorpgs, read, listen to a music, dance when I get the chance and landscape my rather large block.
Work is writing. When a story I am working on is going well I'm on cloud nine. On bad days I go out and dig big holes...
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Yeah, you’re right. I just wish it were possible to continue decentralising power generation rather than ceding it to the big players again. Still, so long as renewables continue to gallop ahead, I won’t complain.

God yes… Watched a program about Chernobyl today recently and the sheer size of the exclusion zone was mind boggling. Such a waste and likely to remain so for thousands of years, at least around the plant itself. Heaven help those dogged survivors if the cover springs a leak.

I like renewables and agree that we need to invest and give it a chance. One problem in the US is that everyone focuses on the “one big fix” – like fossil fuels or nuclear or even solar, none ideal. The either/or scenario sets up a false choice with everyone having to take a side. What is probably more doable and wiser is a broad approach, taking advantage of multiple energy solutions based on dependability and consumption needs. 🙂 Great link!

Yes! We don’t have nuclear in the mix here in Australia, and I wouldn’t want to start now, but the govt has said it will convert our hydro electricity plant into a huge ‘battery’ by pumping the water back up. Geothermal is also coming on, and I’ve read about tidal power being harnessed. The more the merrier. 🙂

We’re in the same boat, here in Australia. Luckily at least some of the states are going it alone. Like your California?
I suspect that many third world economies are forging ahead much faster than we are. They’ll be the powerhouses of the future.